Starling W. Webber owned the entire block between what are now West Third and West Fourth Streets and between North Jefferson and North Madison Streets in the early 1900s.
The two story building located at what is now 102 West Third Street or 301 N. Jefferson (depending on which address is used), on the northwest corner of North Jefferson and West Third Streets, was constructed between 1906 and 1911 after Mr. Webber's opera house and grocery were said to have burned one night during a play. In 1911 when the building was erected, West Third Street was named North Second Street (after being renamed from North First Street).
The building was the only mercantile building on what is now West Third Street when it was built, and an outdoor stairway ran up its west wall from Third Street to the second floor. There was a vacant lot next door to the west, and Mr. Webber had a livery stable where the Martin Theater building now sits at 112 West Third Street. After another vacant lot, the Fire Department sat approximately where the former Mt. Pleasant City Hall now sits, but not all the way to the corner of Madison Street where the former City Hall building is.
Judging by its recessed corner entrance, the new building was probably very similar to the Greenspun building which once sat on the opposite corner across North Jefferson Street. Judging by the camera angle, Street Scenes Photo SS-0004 showing North Jefferson as a dirt street full of horses and wagons was likely taken from the building's original Jefferson Street awning in the early 1900s.
In 1911, a wholesale grocery warehouse occupied the building's entire first floor and a lodge hall was located on the second floor.
After the wholesale grocery moved, the ground floor was divided into two retail spaces with the addition of a wall running north/south down the building's length. The Ellis-Kelly Drug Company, a retail pharmacy, moved into the space nearest Jefferson Street between 1911 and 1920. Ellis-Kelly was one of Mount Pleasant's early businesses, and began operation before microfilmed newspaper records start, making the exact date they began business hard to determine. The building is one of Mt. Pleasant's oldest. A barber shop occupied the west side of the building's ground floor and a warehouse occupied the second floor in 1920. As was the case with early drug stores, Ellis-Kelly sold more than pharmaceuticals including office equipment like typewriters, schools supplies, exclusive candies, and gift items.
The Ellis-Kelly Drug Store operated in this location until March, 1929, when P. O. Wilhite and D. E. Porter purchased it and changed the store's name to Wilhite and Porter.
The second floor was still used as a warehouse from 1933 to 1944, but it was later subdivided and leased for offices when the warehouse moved. Among those renting second floor office space at various times through the years were Dr. John Ellis, Sr., M.D., Dr. E. L. Fender, M.D., and Dentists Jim and Dan Witt, and Dr. L. C. McCauley, a well-known dentist whose office was in the Jefferson Street corner of building,
Wilhite and Porter appeared to operate the pharmacy until some time before 1938, when the store was sold to Guy Gober Proctor. Mr. Proctor renamed the store Proctor's Pharmacy, and since the building was on the corner of West Third Street and North Jefferson, he used 301 North Jefferson as his business address. Mr. Proctor operated the store until his death on June 8, 1960. While he had the store, a long oak bar ran north & south to the left side of the front door, where soda fountain customers who came in for a dip of ice cream or soft drinks were served.
After Mr. Proctor died, the pharmacy changed hands frequently for the next ten years. According to city directories, it was Bryan Pharmacy in 1961, Scott's Pharmacy in 1968, and Gregg Pharmacy in 1971.
The building was shown as being vacant in 1975, and sat vacant for quite a while. Harold Smith and Jimmy White were next to purchase the building, and they completely remodeled the building after purchasing it. During that remodel, a partial third floor was added, the exterior was plastered and painted, windows were replaced, and new awnings and exterior window trim were installed.
Ladye Smith, Harold's wife, operated an exclusive dress shop called My Friends and Me on the first floor of the building facing West Third and Jefferson Street. Jimmy White, then a local attorney and now District Judge, had his law office in the rear of the building with a separate entrance door opening onto North Jefferson Street. Marvin Watson, former LBJ associate shown under the "Events" topic, returned to the Mt. Pleasant area and purchased My Friends and Me from the Smiths. He operated it for a short time, then returned to the Dallas area.
After Watson closed My Friends and Me, the building again sat vacant quite a while.
It was later purchased by John DeFrancisco, but was repossessed by Bank of America.
Carr Denman, Jr. purchased the building from the bank. In August, 2007, Carr Denman, Jr. owns the Ellis-Kelley building and all buildings west of it on the north side of West Third Street up to and including the Martin Theatre. The Ellis-Kelley building is occupied by Denman Drilling Company and CMD Gifts and Imports. A Proctor's Corner sign on the corner post near North Jefferson Street commemorates one of the building's previous tenants.
